Evolution From Creation to New Creation
by Ted Peters and Martinez Hewlett, Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tenn.,
2003, 206 pages, ISBN 0-687-02374-2

Can You Believe in God and Evolution?
by Ted Peters and Martinez Hewlett, Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tenn.,
2006, 98 pages, ISBN 0687-33551-5

We are reviewing two books together here because they have the same authors and are on the same subject matter. If you are looking for a detailed and positive discussion of theistic evolution, these two books will be of interest to you. Ted Peters is a Lutheran scholar at a Lutheran seminary in California. Martinez Hewlett is a Professor Emeritus of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

The positive nature of these books is that they offer support for what the Does God Exist? ministry is all about--that science and faith are complementary and supportive. It is vital that this message get to young people because there is a strong attempt in our culture to place faith and science at extreme positions diametrically opposed to each other. One of the neatest charts in the two books is one that shows a line for "Divine Action" with theism on one end and atheism on the other. Various beliefs are inserted along the line with creationism on the theism end and materialism on the atheism end. Intelligent design is near theism and evolutionary biology is near the atheism end. Theistic evolution is put dead center. A similar line is on the same page with the label "causal explanation." No purpose is on one end and purpose is on the other with intelligent design near the purpose end and materialism near the no purpose end. Again, theistic evolution is near the middle. What these two books do is to promote this view.

These are books that will probably make just about everybody mad. The books do a vivid portrayal of where historically believing in atheistic evolution has taken mankind, something that will infuriate atheists. They also challenge the interpretation methods of denominational creationists as well as their scientific claims, which will infuriate them. Their model is interesting and worth reading by those with advanced training in the field. You certainly will not agree with everything in these books, but they do offer some material not available elsewhere and are worth the time and energy of those who have a strong background in science.

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